When Doctors Don’t Listen: Are current doctor-patient relationships unsustainable?

Topic: Is the current model of doctor-patient relationships unsustainable?

Episode Summary: We hear much talk about how current healthcare systems are “unsustainable”, particularly in rich developed economies. But what exactly do we mean? What is unsustainable about them? In this episode, Dr. Wen and Jisung discuss one critical piece of the puzzle of sustainable healthcare: the relationship between doctor and patient. Dr. Wen shares her unique perspective which is informed by both her work as an emergency physician as well as her mother’s battle with breast cancer. In addition to concrete steps that both patients and doctors can take to bring back the lost art of correct diagnosis, Dr. Wen offers valuable career advice for students interested in medicine and public health.

Bio: Dr. Leana Wen is an emergency physician at Brigham & Women’s/Massachusetts General Hospital, clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School, and a former Rhodes Scholar. Inspired by her own childhood illness and then her mother’s long battle with cancer, Dr. Wen is passionate about guiding patients to advocate for better care. She has been featured in TIME, Newsweek, ABC News, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, The New York Times, Washington Post,Teen Vogue, and the award-winning HBO documentary Reporter. Dr. Wen speaks regularly across the U.S. and in Europe, Asia, and Africa to on simple yet effective ways for patients to take control of their health and her new book: When Doctors Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests. Follow @DrLeanaWen.

Jisung is Founder and Co-Director of Sense & Sustainability, and Host of the S&S Podcast. He is currently a PhD Candidate in the Economics Department at Harvard University, where he is an NSF Fellow and a Harvard Environmental Economics Fellow.